Design disciplines

You are here:

If you want information on particular design disciplines or sectors, you can find it here

Our world-class resource has in-depth information on design and business issues and opportunities, written by recognised experts

Lamborghini Miura by Marcello Gandini/Bertone

Automotive design by Chris Clements and Dr Samantha Porter

Automotive design is a complicated discipline. Although primarily concerned with the appearance of a vehicle, it is governed by various factors including security, safety and engineering - all of which have their own set of specialists. This means that as well as designing to very high standards, automotive designers must have excellent teamworking and communication skills Chris Clements and Dr...

Web-based aid for writers by Text Matters

Information design by Sue Walker and Mark Barratt

By co-ordinating a range of design, language, evaluation and technical skills, information designers play a vital role in making complex information easy to understand and use Sue Walker and Mark Barratt look at the challenges facing the information design profession today and assess future trends

Image of two cartoon men standing in front of a Homeserve van

Service design by Bill Hollins

The UK services sector is growing, but service design and its management are often poorly planned, argues Bill Hollins. This article reveals how companies can gain competitive advantage by applying design techniques when creating and improving their services.

Selfridges Department Store, Birmingham by Future Systems

Building design by Miriam Fitzpatrick

As a subject, building design is more popular than ever, but there’s a lot more to it than striking new statement architecture. Miriam Fitzpatrick investigates the discipline today and explains how setting higher standards in all aspects of the design and build process can be good for business, the environment and our health

Virgin train exhibition stand by 2LK Design

Temporary exhibition design by David Kelley

Temporary exhibition design can be anything from an amateur art show in a village hall to a multi-million-pound stand at a trade exhibition. David Kelley examines the discipline as applied to both trade and consumer exhibitions and asks how better-designed stands can improve business

Experience design by Ralph Ardill

Brand experience has the power to engender a greater degree of empathy, trust and loyalty from both customers and employees. Ralph Ardill reveals how experience design delivers new insights into how brands are perceived.

Retail design by Jeff Kindleysides

With consumers expecting and demanding more, retail environments have to work ever harder. Award-winning retail designer Jeff Kindleysides gives an insight into the latest trends and challenges. The environments in which goods and services are sold, he explains, can have as much effect on the consumer as the quality of the goods themselves

Office interior at PriceWaterhouseCoopers headquarters

Workplace design by Jeremy Myerson

Innovative workspaces can have a direct and beneficial effect on staff productivity and creativity. Jeremy Myerson explains how And it’s not just staff performance that can benefit. Good workplace design can also help shape your organisation’s culture and improve corporate image, speed up information flow and nurture innovation.

This Water packaging by Pearlfisher for Innocent

Packaging design by Jonathan Sands

Are many products meaningless without their packaging? Jonathan Sands explains packaging design's role in protecting contents, selling products, and helping people to use them He discusses the rise of green packaging, how consumer driven demand is helping to improve packaging recyclability as well as reducing greenhouse emissions.

Product design by Dick Powell

How do good ideas become marketable products? Dick Powell gives an overview of the product design process, from commission, briefing and market research through to product launch. Product design is crucial to anyone involved in the manufacture and marketing of physical products. A well-conceived product will sell more, increase market share, have wider reach, improve margins and potentially...

Interaction design - read an overview and download a PDF

Interaction design is the key skill used in creating an interface through which information technology can be manipulated. As products and services are increasingly being created using information technology, interaction design is likely to become the key design skill of this century. It focuses on users attempting to complete a task or achieve an objective, using a tool (device) in a particular...